This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Taking page from Nordic noir

Re: Shelly Glover’s chance to enhance to Canadian cultural narrative, Opinion, July 21

Shelly Glover’s chance to enhance to Canadian cultural narrative, Opinion, July 21

Writer Jennifer Jonas gets it right. Why is it that we enjoy watching so many Nordic noir videos, greedy for more episodes from Arne Dahl, Borgen, The Protectors, The Bridge, Varg Veum and more?

Denmark (pop. 4.5 million), Sweden (pop. 9.4 million) and Norway (pop. 4.8 million) are not afraid to look at complex contemporary political subjects, and stories about “the social actions of social beings,” as Jonas writes. They believe in examining their local situations, and domestic problems, but, as always, the local habitation speaks to people everywhere.

It is high time for Canadians to show that they too can examine real issues, and situations in their television drama. Imagine. If Canadians can create riveting contemporary crime dramas, like the Nordic ones we devour, maybe people in other countries will be begging for more at their video store.

Article Continued Below

Margaret van Dijk, Toronto

As a new Heritage Minister with Metis heritage, Shelly Glover will understand that Canadians are deeply committed to conserving and promoting our splendid natural heritage. Since we value participatory democracy, it’s high time we had a national anthem that was friendly to all Canadians, one rinsed of sexism, deism and nativism, as in the dated phrase, “home and native land.”

Here’s a new anthem with just a few small changes that go a long way to making the anthem universally singable. Nearly all of Robert Stanley Weir’s lyrics can stay, as can the fine music of Calixa Lavallee.

“O Canada, our home on sacred land,

True patriot love, in all of us command,

With glowing hearts we see thee rise\

The true north strong and free,

From far and wide thy children come

To stand on guard for thee!

Come, build a land,

Glorious and free,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!”

The website Informed Opinions has been fighting for changes to the anthem for years, and their blog site endorses these changes. Yes, the French version needs even more work, but that shouldn’t keep the English version from evolving.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com